Report

Kevin Yili Hong, Temple University

Paul A. Pavlou, Temple University

February 2013

In this report, we discuss three aspects of online labor markets. First, we give an overview of the current state of major online marketplaces that offer intermediary services for buyer companies and IT professionals with a focus on one marketplace in particular – Freelancer. Second, we show some findings on the measurable economic benefits online labor markets provide to companies that outsource IT services (measured with consumer surplus) and what factors contribute to higher buyer satisfaction. Third, we offer a novel perspective on the frictions that exist in the micro-level interactions between buyer companies and service providers given the global nature of these markets and how reputation signals can  alleviate these frictions. Finally, we offer practical implications and recommendations for companies that use these marketplaces to outsource IT services to professionals across the globe.

We identified two key aspects that affect the selection of service providers and the pricing of their services: global frictions and reputation signals.

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© 2013 The IBIT Report, Institute for Business and Information Technology, Fox School of Business, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA. All rights reserved. ISSN 1938-1271.

Gordon Burtch, Temple University

Anindya Ghose, New York University

Sunil Wattal, Temple University

February 2013

This report examines a new application of crowdsourcing focused on the generation of funding for ideas initiated by others. While news articles and reports on crowdfunding have cited the success of numerous campaigns, the majority of efforts have actually failed. A better understanding of the design of campaigns and the management of the required platform can result in success. The report discusses opportunities, benefits, and pitfalls and demonstrates how the crowdfunding marketplace has the potential to be an innovation hub and improve open innovation practices. The report also provides suggestions on how businesses can leverage crowdfunding concepts, how to conduct a crowdfunding campaign, and how to influence contributor behavior.

In donation-based platforms, we have found that crowdfunders’ contribution behavior parallels that observed in charitable contexts

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© 2013 The IBIT Report, Institute for Business and Information Technology, Fox School of Business, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA. All rights reserved. ISSN 1938-1271.

David Schuff, Temple University

Uchenna Oguekwe, American College of Physicians

Neil Rushi, Temple University

Michael McAghon, Intuitive Company

Paul Nuschke, Empathy Lab

January 2012

Video games are changing the ways in which we interact with technology such as the motion-sensing Wii Remote and Xbox 360’s Kinect and Playstation Move. Video games have also led the way in group collaboration, achieving a level of sophistication not often seen within companies. Games such as Call of Duty series and World of Warcraft allow users to play together. The attention these games demand is incredible – in its first week, Halo: Reach accounted for 5,901 person-years of online game play. From a usability perspective, business applications users are faced with many of the same issues as those that face gamers.  The next generation of corporate employees, having grown up using iPhones and Playstations, will have a different set of expectations regarding software usability. Yet, few gaming innovations have made inroads into mainstream business applications. This report will illustrate a set of best practices based on lessons learned from an analysis of 29 video games.

Few gaming innovations have made inroads into mainstream business applications.

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© 2012 The IBIT Report, Institute for Business and Information Technology, Fox School of Business, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA. All rights reserved. ISSN 1938-1271.

Youngjin Yoo and TL Hill

February 2010

The recent spread of open innovation is based on the insight that, with the help of information technology, distributed individuals can contribute to complex innovations. At its best, open innovation promises creative, robust solutions to complex problems. At its worst, open innovation threatens managerial and ownership headaches as firms try to reconcile openness with control. This report proposes guidelines to help managers think through the trade-offs involved in designing open innovation strategies. In particular, we offer principles for open innovation; a checklist for determining readiness for open innovation; and a menu of ways to manage open innovation from which managers can draw when designing their own open innovation strategies.

Information technology, particularly emerging Web 2.0, plays a very important role in implementing open innovation approaches.

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© 2011 The IBIT Report, Institute for Business and Information Technology, Fox School of Business, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA. All rights reserved. ISSN 1938-1271.

Martin Doyle and Frank Azuola

January 2010

This IBIT Report on Mobile Banking analyzes the banking and financial needs of people in the 14-25 age range. This group is the vanguard for demand for future financial services and has shown the desire to access these services via their mobile phones. Are today’s technological capabilities and financial functions able to support their needs or are there gaps that provide new opportunities for technology and service providers?

The results of our analysis show that the most popular “gap” is the ability to check account activity across multiple institutions.

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© 2011 The IBIT Report, Institute for Business and Information Technology, Fox School of Business, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA. All rights reserved. ISSN 1938-1271.